Radium applicator



May zo ,19.24.` 1,494,826

C. H. VIOL RADIUM APPLI'cAToR Filed sept. 29. 192s Patented May 20, 1924-.

UNITED STATES 1,494,826 PATENT oFFlcE.

CHARLES H. VIOL, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 STANIIIJAIRI.)k

- CHEMICAL COMPANY, OIE PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RADIUM APPLICATOR.

Application filed September 29, 1920. Serial N o. 413,519.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES I-I. Viol., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radium Applicators; and I do hereby declare the 'following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improvement in applicators of the needle type and more particularly to such in which the applica.- tion of radioactive rays to various forms of tumor growths is contemplated.

One object of the invention is to so construct a needle applicator for the administration of radium or other radioactive substances to tumor or other growths, that it shall be suiiiciently strong to permit penetration into a tumor without liability of breaking or bending; so that it shall effectually resist corrosion due to the effect of body fluids, and so that the radium or other radioactive substance shall be eiliciently and permanently sealed within the device to guard against possibility of loss.

l/Vith this and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view of an applicator embodying my improvement, and Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view.

1 represents the body of the applicator which will preferably be made of steel or some hard strong lnon-corrosive metal or alloy and may be gold plated to guard against corrosion, and I have found that with the use of stainless steel and Monel metal, the gold plating may be dispensed with. The body l of the applicator is provided at its solid end with an eye 2, said solid part of the shaft serving to give a strong vholding grip for the forceps used in inserting the needle,` while the eye serves to hold a thread or wire used to withdraw the needle. The body l is formed with a chamber 3 to contain radium salt or other radioactive compound. One end of this chamber is closed as at 4 and its other end is normally open to permit the insertion of the radium salt or' other radioactive compound, and

after said chamber shall have been charged,

its forward end will be closed by the butt portion 5 of a needle pointjG. The butt 5 of the needle enters the end of the chamber as a plug and will then be soldered or otherwise permanently fixed in place so that it shall become in effect a permanent part of the device and obviate possibility of the escape of the radioactive material or any minute portion thereof.

My improved applicator is substantial in construction and is not liable to breakage or bending and the escape of theexpensive radium salt or radioactive compound isv effectually prevented.

` I-Iaving fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A radium applicator of the needle type comprising a body portion having a chamber permanently closed at its rear end and a pointed member closing the forward end of said chamber.

2. A metal applicator of the needle type, comprising a rigid body having a chamber for radio-active substance permanentlyV closed at its rear end, and means for permanently closing the forward end of said chamber after the introduction thereinto of the radio-active substance.

3. A metal applicator, comprising a body made from a strong, hard and non-corrosive metal or alloy and having a chamber for radium salt or other radio-active substance, and a needle point having a butt portion entering said chamber and permitting permanent closing of the same.

4L. An applicator, comprising a body made ing witnesses.

CHARLES H. VIOL.' Witnesses:

GEO. BERBERovIoH, PAUL F. HAGUE. *y P, 

